CYC 705 Chapter 1+2 and Articles: Program Evaluation Readings Week 1:2

• School: Ryerson University
• Department: Child and Youth Care
• Course: CYC 705
• Professor: Leslie Yaffa

Document Summary

Overview: realworld evaluation and the contexts in which it is used. Usually interested in an already running program and it"s impacts are motivated by the need for evidence about whether the program should be continued/expanded. Most evaluations are conducted in political environments in which funding agencies/stakeholders have the final say on what the right evaluation methods are; other evaluation issues arise in selecting control groups, type of design (qualitative/quantitative) and interview questions. Main questions include did the program meet it"s objectives, did it have an impact, who benefited, and should the program be continued/expanded; supported by evidence, not opinions. Rwe is based on a seven step approach Step one, planning and scoping evaluation: defining client needs, identifying time/budget/ data constraints, selecting the design that best addresses client needs. Step two, addressing budget constraints: modify evaluation design, rationalize data needs, look for secondary data, reduce sample size, economical data collection methods (reduce costs)